


Bunker

by BoxedWine



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Hydra (Marvel), Protective Bucky Barnes, Rescue, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 23:56:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16169375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoxedWine/pseuds/BoxedWine
Summary: The SHIELD facility is under attack and Bucky finds you just in time.





	Bunker

I’m lying on the floor of the stairwell as pieces of the ceiling fall around me. I don’t understand. Nothing hit me. Nor am I trapped under rubble, at least not yet, but none of my muscles are cooperating, except my eyes which are darting around in a panic. I’m not even in one of the main SHIELD stairwells, which if they are still accessible and not destroyed by this attack, will be filled with people escaping. 

The explosions and gunfire go on in the distance, muffled by the cracking, concrete walls. I hear a door fling open below me and the crackle of a communication device.

“Clearing the back stairwell now,” says a male voice.

The footsteps come closer. I fear it’s someone who is part of the attack so I close my eyes, the only part of my body I seem to control and play dead. The steps come to an abrupt stop with a startled intake of breath at the sight of me. Whoever it is kneels down and checks my pulse. Hmmm. A bullet would be faster.

The voice says, “One down in the back stairwell. Has a pulse. She’s one of ours. I recognize her from the campus.”

At that, my eyes pop open and the icy blue eyes that greet me are the last ones I expected. James Buchanan Barnes is staring at me with his forehead creased in concern. 

“Hey,” he says gently. “There you are. Are you hurt? Can you move?”

I try to open my mouth but I just make a soft moan as my eyes fill. I just don’t understand why I can’t do anything. I feel a tear run over the bridge of my nose and onto the other side of my face as I lie on my side helplessly.

The furrow in his brow deepens. He touches my arm and then my leg. 

“Can you feel that?”

I try to say yes, but the sound I make is unintelligible. I blink back tears. 

“It’s okay, doll. I won’t leave you here. I’ll get you out. Can you blink once for yes and twice for no?” He’s leaning over me, protecting me from any debris that may fall.

I blink once.

“Great. Could you feel me touch you?”

Blink.

“Good. Did something hit you or were you otherwise injured by an object or person?”

Blink blink.

“Were there any kind of fumes or vapors or a strange smell when you came out here?”

Blink.

He scoops me up. “Okay. I wanted to be sure I wouldn’t make any injuries worse before just carrying you out the easy way. But I’m pretty sure they got you with the PNT gas. They used it in a couple other locations on campus as well.”

He must see the confusion in my eyes as he makes his way through the raining pieces of (fortunately) small debris, keeping me tucked into him as he takes the hits. 

“It’s a HYDRA weapon. You lose the ability to move and control your body properly. It’s not permanent. You will be okay I promise.”

More tears slip down my cheeks at the confirmation that this is a HYDRA attack.

Bucky has just reached the bottom when the entire building above us starts to come down. A large chunk of concrete blocks the exit, leaving a door into the basement as the only option. He charges into the hallway yelling into the comm. The voice on the other end tells him where to go. Just as the rest of the building collapses, he shuts us into a bunker of some sort, made of steel. 

He falls back against the thick door with a sigh of relief. “It’s okay,” he says to me. “This safe room was built to withstand damn near anything they can throw at us. Steve knows where we are and they will pull us out as soon as they can.”

“If HYDRA doesn’t kill everyone,” I think to myself. 

He looks around the room and finds blankets on a shelf. He kneels down, holding me to him with his flesh arm, while his metal arm creates a semi-soft spot to lay me down.

He sits next to me and takes my hand.

“Is this okay?”

Blink.

“It will take a few hours to completely wear off, but you’ll start getting movement back a little at a time,” he pauses to brush some hair from my eyes. “I want to warn you that the side effects of it wearing off are that you’ll start getting very cold, so don’t be scared if that happens. It’s just part of it. So if you don’t feel right, just know that’s a sign that you’re getting better even though it feels like you’re getting worse.”

“Hu hu-” I try to speak again and fail.

“You’ll probably be able to speak, at least a bit, pretty soon. That was always one of the first things to come back.”

The sound of an explosion above us startles me and my eyes go wide. 

“It’s okay,” he promises. “I’ll keep you safe.”

He sits by me mostly in silence for a while, speaking only into the comms every so often, but unable to get through to anyone. He’s still holding my hand when I start to shiver slightly.

He pulls another blanket from the shelf and covers me. “It’s starting to wear off,” he reminds me.

The only part of me that feels properly warm is my hand that he’s holding. He radiates heat and I wish I could move closer to him. I shiver harder and he throws another blanket on me.

“Hu hu how-” I force out and he looks at me hopefully. “Y y you know?” The last word is barely audible.

“How do I know about the gas?”

Blink.

“They created it while they had me as the Winter Soldier. I was the test subject for it. Well the first one anyway.”

My horror at this makes my eyes fill again. I’m well aware of how he was tortured and wiped, but that they also tested crap like this on him seems so obvious, yet I had no idea. 

He sees my tears and wipes them gently. “I’m okay now,” he says. “And that’s how I know you will be too.”

I start to shiver violently, but also manage to lightly squeeze his hand.

“Listen, the chills are going to get worse before they get better. I always thought it was the worst part, maybe just because I was sick of it always being so fucking cold anyway, but I can help. The serum makes me run pretty hot and my body heat can help, but only if it’s okay with you. 

Blink. Hand squeeze.

He smiles at me. Even as he appears to be vibrating due to my shivering I’m struck by how beautiful he is. I’ve seen him around plenty, and always found him to look intimidating, but now he looks so soft and kind, it’s hard to believe this is the man that can make a room go silent just by walking in. 

He gets under the blankets with me and wraps his arms around my middle. “This is okay?” he asks to be sure. Blink.

I’m still freezing but the shivering subsides slightly from the ungodly amount of warmth he emits. We lie there for what feels like an hour. Eventually I decide to try speaking again, though it takes a ridiculous amount of effort.

“Thank you, Bucky. I’m sorry you got stuck in here though.”

A chill passes through me right then, and without even meaning too, I snuggle closer to his chest. His hand rubs my back, the friction helping my body to still.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m just glad I found you in time.”

“Me too.”

“I see you around a lot. You help compile intel for missions, right?”

I move my head as much as I’m capable to look at him. “How did you know that?”

“I know lots of stuff,” he says with a goofy smile.

“I wouldn’t have thought you’d have any idea who I was. I mean we’ve never talked and I’m just one of many.”

“No. I noticed you.”

I don’t quite know what to make of that, so I nervously snuggle back into his warm chest and he holds me tighter as I shiver again. Eventually I realize I can move my arms, slowly and carefully. I put my arm around his waist for the warmth, and he presses slightly closer to me.

“You still okay?” he checks in.

“Yes. Hope I’m not being a weirdo. But you are better than a space heater.”

“I’m definitely much more snuggly. And less likely to leave scorch marks.”

Did the Winter Soldier just call himself snuggly? I giggle softly.

“I have to say, you are nothing like what you seem.”

“How do I seem?”

“You just look, well, you’re kind of intimidating. Big and serious.”

“Yeah, I’ve been told I have an asshole vibe.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I gasp and slap at his chest.

He laughs. “It’s okay. My reputation saves me from a lot of small talk. I save the conversation for the people I know or want to know.”

“Oh.”

“So I’m kind of glad that I’m finally getting the chance to talk to you, though these aren’t the circumstances I envisioned.”

“You wanted to talk to me?”

He hesitates. “Yeah, I just hadn’t found an opening yet. I’m not so good with that stuff these days.”

“And what did you want to talk to me about?”

He laughs nervously. “I just thought you looked like a nice person who might just have some interesting things to say. You dropped your book one day in the foyer, and it was the same one I was read-”

A huge explosion shakes the room and he rolls over on top of me to protect me, but nothing else happens. He pushes himself up on his forearms so as not to crush me. We stare into each other’s eyes and then he rolls back to my side and I snuggle into him.

“Does this mean we can get coffee when we get out of here?”

“I hope so,” he chuckles. “But I didn’t exactly want to ask you out while you were rendered immobile and trapped in a steel room with me.”

“Does that make coffee the second date? I feel like this should count for something.”

“Oh, this definitely counts for something.”

The shivering has finally subsided but I’m still enjoying his warmth. I move my legs without even realizing it. 

“Yes!” I gasp.

Bucky looks thrilled. He helps me as I struggle to a sitting position. I’m still weak, but he lets me lean back against his chest as he leans against the wall.

“Is it okay if I put my arms around you?”

“Yes.”

We can hear noise above us that we can only hope are people coming to dig us out. Our people.

We share silly stories, his often revolving around Steve and sometimes Sam. Eventually I have the strength to turn around and face him. 

“Thank you for saving my life.”

“I already told you don’t have to thank me,” he gives me a soft smile.

I lean in and peck him on the lips. He looks startled.

“I’m sorry. Should I not-”

He interrupts me by leaning in and giving me a quick kiss back.

“I really want to kiss you again,” I whisper.

“You know you don’t have to-”

“I know that, silly.”

“It’s just, you just had a trauma and we’re trapped and I don’t want you to feel like you have-”

I shut him up with a lingering kiss. His hands find my hair as he kisses me back. 

At that moment a hole appears above us and none other than Iron Man pokes his head in. His face shield disappears and he yells, “Found them! In a compromising position no less!”

Bucky rolls his eyes. “Shut up, Tony.”

He stands and pulls me up with him. He gives me the little support I need as I’m still slightly weakened. As he lifts me up to Tony, I look down at him. 

“We’re still getting coffee, right?” I ask.

“I don’t think so.”

My face falls. “Oh, I see.”

“I’d rather take you to dinner.”

I grin as Iron Man flies me above the rubble.


End file.
